Now here's a good post title, because it's gotta be true no matter what you reply to me.
It remains true essentially because there is no one description that could fit all the people I've met and seen at the shelter here in Maringá, Brasil.
There is no specific age, gender, or economic origin. Believe me, it's crazy. I even met a former biochemistry engineer who had his own lab and everything but got tired of his wife spending huge amounts on cocaine and other drugs so he left everything and hit the streets.
I felt inspired to write this because today while we lined up for the shower a few people passed on their cars looking at the group with utmost despise. Then a couple of women got off to donate some clothes but passed quickly towards the guard without as little as a glance towards us.
Despite the heterogeneous origin of the people there and their different approaches to life, one thing they share is that most of them are pretty harmless. There's always one or two at night that can get rowdy with some drinks on them but they are not celebrated by anyone. Anyway, the nasty looks were in broad daylight and everyone was being super peaceful.
There's people like me who are traveling, people who had problems in their previous life and are looking to start over, people who are working and saving up by not paying rent, etc. And yes, there's also people who just want everything free and don't want to have to make any effort, but even in this short time I've seen some of them make sacrifices to start changing.
But let's assume for a moment that they're all a band of bums that don't want to contribute to society. Is that still a good reason to make them feel even more rejected? Do people think that will encourage them to change?
People who don't have motivation towards the life society proposes is that way because they were raised on rejection, on the idea that they were not worthy of love. I know this because it happened to me as well. Not complaining though, I'm over that and now I just enjoy the freedom of going where I please, and where God allows me to go. I just wonder if there's really no better way to treat people?
Of course, there's also a lot of loving people who go and hand out food and drinks, going even at night. Oh wait, I just remembered something that happened today, very bizarre. In the morning a couple of guys were going to a place where they were going to receive some money. They told me to go with so I tagged along.
We arrived at a federal office and I thought that we would wait for the office to open and receive the benefit. But what happened blew my mind: a small lady, a bit crooked, with a face pale as snow and a lot of makeup on her lips and brows started walking towards us with her purse open in her hands. She didn't say a word and handed each of us a 5 BRL bill. Strange, very strange.